Allow buses to transport migrants, says Priyanka Gandhi as UP govt accuses her of doing political stunt

NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday urged the Uttar Pradesh government to use the buses that the party has arranged for the migrants instead of doing politics over the issue.
The Congress leader in a video statement said: "We'll have to understand our responsibilities. They (migrant labourers walking to return to their native states) aren't just Indians but India's spinal cord.The country runs on their blood and sweat. It's everyone's responsibility. It's not the time for politics."
"At 4pm it will be 24 hours since the buses were made available. If you want to use it, do it. Give us permission. If you want to use BJP party flags and stickers on buses then do it. If you want to say that you made those buses available, do it. But let the buses run," she said.

Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma accused the Congress of doing politics at a time of intense crisis, saying this has never been done before by a major political party.
Of the 1,049 buses mentioned in a list given by the Congress, around 460 were found to be "fake", the UP deputy CM said adding "whatever the Congress was doing was a political stunt."
A UP government spokesperson claimed the buses provided by the Congress were unfit to ply on roads.
The deputy chief minister claimed that 297 vehicles mentioned in the list were virtually junk.
"Should we ply the unfit buses and put the lives of the migrant labourers at risk? There are 98 three-wheelers, cars, ambulances in the list. Around 68 vehicles in the list do not have proper papers (registration and insurance)," he said.
Sharma also asked how the resources of a state government could be utilised by a political party.
"There are many buses of Rajasthan government in the list of 1,000 buses which Congress claims to have arranged for migrant workers. 297 buses do not have fitness certificate, 98 are three-wheelers, cars and ambulances and 68 vehicles do not have any papers," Sharma added.
"Can any political party use the buses of the Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation for its own? How can the resources of a state government be utilised by a political party? On what basis are these buses being run?" the dy chief minister asked.
"Here, I want to ask them why Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot did not feel sad when our children were crying in Kota (the coaching hub) as they were not getting food, water and treatment? Where had his buses gone then," he said.